The experiment carried out in aiming to evaluate the tissue and chemical composition of longissimus dorsi muscle of Suffolk lambs fed on creep feeding system with ration containing 0.0, 6.60, 13.20 and 19.80% of sunflower seed. At kidding, the lambs were identified, weighed and randomly distributed to paddocks composing four replicates per ration, totaling 16 lambs. The rations contained 2.65, 2.78, 2.89 or 2.93 Mcal/kg of ME and 18.38, 18.75, 19.98 and 21.18% of CP and were ad libitum fed to the lambs. The lambs were weighed every 14 days and kept with the ewe until they reach the pre-established slaughter body weight (28 kg). The carcasses were chilling in cold chamber at 5°C for 24 hours, and then were split into seven anatomical regions for collection of the left and right loins and obtention of the variables: measures of L. Dorsi muscle, weight of the loin components (muscle, bone and fat); chemical composition and profile of fatty acids of muscle, bone and fat. The sunflower seed influenced total loin weight, muscle and connective tissue weights and connective tissue yield. The increase in sunflower seed percentage in the diet decreased the amount of lauric acid and palmitic (saturated), and increased oleic and linoleic acids (unsaturated). The nutritional quality of meat of lamb improves with increased use of sunflower seed in the diet.
fatty acids; meat; sheep
